Revisiting Drew Pearson’s Gut-Wrenching Hall Of Fame Snub Reaction After He Was Finally Selected After 33 Years

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Drew Pearson waiting 33 years to be immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and in August the legendary Cowboys receiver will punch his ticket to Canton, at last.

In June 2020, Pearson’s gut-wrenching reaction to getting snubbed went viral, as a month prior he’d been named as a finalist for the special Centennial Class the NFL honored as it celebrated its 100th anniversary, which in his mind was a precursor to a HOF induction. The Super Bowl champion’s celebratory gathering came to a screeching halt after all the names were read.

Further, in 2010, he was selected as a 1970s All-Decade First Teamer. From 1930 through 2010, there had been 17 wide receivers selected NFL first-team all decade. Up until this year, Pearson was the only one Hall snub.

All’s well that ends well, and Pearson learned in February that he would be part of the eight-member Class of 2021 to be enshrined come August.

News broke this week that the 3x Pro Bowler has selected Roger Staubach as his presenter. Staubach tossed 27 of Pearson’s 48 career touchdowns, including one of the most iconic plays in Cowboys history: The Original Hail Mary, allowed the Cowboys to upset the Vikings in the 1975 playoffs. In 2019, the NFL pinned the play as the 15th Greatest Play of All-Time, a slot ahead of Odell’s one-handed grab.

The Class of 2021 will take its place in Canton on August 8, 2021 during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week.